A third of GPs earn more than the Prime Minister, Wes Streeting has revealed.
The Health Secretary today dismissed the idea doctors do not have the funds or capacity to open online booking for ‘non-urgent’ requests.
Mr Streeting has been locked in an ongoing dispute with the British Medical Association (BMA) since the start of October.
The body has opposed measures forcing every practice in England to make online booking open for the non-essential appointments as well as ‘medication queries and admin requests’ during working hours.
Mr Streeting described the union’s rejection of reforms as ‘baffling’ and said it was ‘absurd’ that booking a GP appointment was often harder than getting a haircut.
The union claims doctors do not have the funds or capacity to implement the proposed changes.
Today Mr Streeting’s department published evidence that a third of GP partners – self-employed doctors who run their own practice – made more than £175,000 last year.
Meanwhile Sir Keir Starmer was entitled to a gross annual salary of £172,153 for his roles of MP and prime minister.
Mr Streeting (pictured) has been locked in an ongoing dispute with the British Medical Association (BMA) since the start of October
The union claims doctors do not have the funds or capacity to implement the changes (file image)
Mr Streeting condemned the ‘dangerous extremism’ in the leadership of the BMA union last month after dissident activists urged GPs to deliberately ‘overwhelm’ A&E in protest at wider reforms.
According to the Department of Health statistics, one in six GP partners earned more than £225,000 in 2023-24.
It comes as earnings have increased by £37,000 over the past decade, with an increase of £18,500 over the past year.
The department said the highest 10 per cent of GP partners earned more than £256,400.
Mr Streeting agreed to a four per cent pay award for consults, speciality doctors, specialists and GPs in May, backdated to the previous month.
And last year the Institute for Fiscal Studies said that between 2010 and 2024 earnings across the population ‘grew at their slowest rate in probably more than 200 years’.
Figures on GP earnings were based on NHS England Digital research, which looked at anonymised tax data from HMRC self-assessment records.
A Department of Health spokesman said: ‘It simply isn’t credible for the BMA to say they don’t have the resources to deliver online consultations.
Nicola Ranger, head of the Royal College of Nursing, said the latest proposal was ‘derisory’
‘This government has invested an extra £1.1 billion in general practice and recruited 2,500 more GPs, precisely so they have the tools to provide a modern service. The BMA signed up to this — it is baffling that they are now trying to turn back time.’
Earlier this week it emerged Labour was struggling to contain fresh NHS strike threats after unions dismissed the idea of a 2.5 per cent pay rise.
The government’s evidence to the pay review body delivered a stark warning that any increase above that level next year could force cuts to services and staff.
It pointed out the 2.5 per cent figure is above the forecast for inflation, and every extra half a percentage point on wages costs £750million.
Health secretary Wes Streeting accused the BMA of ‘reckless posturing’, warning the walkout will ‘harm patients’ and hamper efforts to tackle waiting lists.
Nicola Ranger, head of the Royal College of Nursing, said the latest proposal was ‘derisory’.
‘Three months after we rejected a higher amount, and with inflation rising, the government risks insulting NHS staff all over again,’ she said.
‘With too many leaving nursing and too few joining, we need urgent and fundamental pay reform, not derisory pay deals that fail to cover living costs.’
